Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and François Arnaud took to social media to condemn online hate comments.
The pair shared identical Instagram stories just after 3 p.m. PT on Monday with a statement to those spreading hate online, often pitting the cast members against one another. “Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind,” the post read. “None of us need your hateful ‘love.’”
Both Williams, who plays Shane Hollander in the series, and Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter in the series, have been the subject of a slew of hateful comments on social media. The post addressed those looking to pit the actors, and other members of the cast, against one another. “We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side,” the statement continued to read. “If you can’t accept that gtfoh (get the fuck out of here).”
The actors followed up with various comments on social media. Williams responded to a Threads post about the situation. “It was Francois’ idea and I helped write it! I don’t scroll comments so I did not see the hate. I was vibing watching figure skating highlights,” he said in the comment. Arnaud has also been responding to comments on Instagram posts, including one on a recent post that read, “racists and haters of all kinds gtfoh.”
Several of the cast members and creative team have reposted the statement. Their co-star Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova added in part on her repost, “Please don’t make a show that’s about love be hateful online. So much love was poured into this project and we all genuinely have so much respect for everyone involved in making this. We’re not characters and neither are our real friends, partners, family and making up false narratives about us isn’t ‘love.’”
She also took to social media on Sunday to address online comments. The post read: “Since it’s Women’s Day I want to say the women you see at industry events are there [because] they are just as deserving of being in those rooms! The assumption that we are there because our male costars invited us takes away the work we also put in. Celebrate women’s achievements!”
Kharlamova then made a follow-up post condemning those trying to blame members of the cast. The second post read, “Also if you’re using this tweet to criticize my cast mates you missed the point! They are amazing!! I said CELEBRATE WOMEN not hate on male actors.”
9:41 p.m.: Added additional comments by Williams, Arnaud and Kharlamova on social media.